The four decade old point guard retired from the NBA yesterday, with his last shining moment in the league coming against the Celtics in Game 1 of a quarterfinal series against the Knicks. Kidd made the key play of the game for New York, deflecting a Jeff Green pass with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. He dove to beat the 26-year-old Green for the ball, and succeeded. He finished with eight points, five rebounds and three steals to give New York the win.

Kidd was just one of a prideful handful of players born in the early-to-mid 1970s contributing to an NBA playoff team this spring.

Thirty-seven-year-old Tim Duncan is resting his old bones right now in anticipation of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. Duncan has scored in double-figures in all but one of 14 San Antonio playoff games this spring and he has grabbed 10 rebounds or more in seven of the 14.

Thirty-seven-year-old Ray Allen had recorded three 20-plus point games in this year’s postseason heading into Miami’s Game 7 showdown with Indiana Monday.

Most contenders for the NBA title would rather not have their “go-to-guy” be someone who was in pre-school when the first Star Wars movie was released (no, not the digitally remastered version). Duncan often defers to 31-year-old Tony Parker, 21-year-old Kawhi Leonard and 25-year-old Danny Green. Allen defers to that 28-year-old LeBron guy. Kidd dished off to 29-year-old Carmelo Anthony.

Still, it’s clear that experience counts for something in today’s NBA. With most of the league attempting to get younger in each June’s draft, it’s the mid-’90s draftees that are routinely playing late into the month.